SCHNEIDEREIT: United Church of Canada marching with the hypocrites

An elderly Palestinian prays next to a grave in a cemetery as part of the Eid al-Fitr traditions, in the West Bank town of Ramallah on Sunday, the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. The United Church of Canada is boycotting goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. (AP)

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PAUL SCHNEIDEREIT

The United Church of Canada’s decision last week to boycott goods from Israeli settlements is instructive, just not in the way that it intended.

Pointing fingers and ostracizing the other side hasn’t worked for 64 years. In fact, it’s led to a seemingly never-ending cycle of violence that has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people in the region. But hey, maybe the United Church, ignoring history, figured this time would be different.

By adopting its boycott, however, the church has simply joined the parade of failed thinking on the Middle East.

Yet beyond the tired blame-Israel rhetoric, the church’s naive gesture echoes the hypocrisy that among all injustices in the world, none is more beyond the pale than Israeli settlements on lands occupied after the 1967 war.

Let’s be clear. I don’t support the existence of Israeli settlements scattered across the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. I think it’s obvious that Israel will have to give up the vast majority in any future peace deal with the Palestinians.

But resolving this conflict is about far more than closing down Israeli settlements. It also involves, for example, dealing with Israel’s legitimate security concerns. Both sides will ultimately have to make concessions to forge a lasting peace. Whenever you hear the rhetoric of no concessions, you’re hearing the fuel that keeps this crisis burning.

At the same time, what’s amazing is the amount of attention this particular dispute generates, while other conflicts and injustices that spawn human misery in the region, never mind around the world, get short shrift from the same hypocrite brigade — that’s right, take your place in the front row, United Church of Canada. Fair-minded observers are left wondering about motive.

Some have accused the church of being anti-Semitic. I’m not jumping on that bandwagon either, however. But there certainly seems to be an overriding ideological point of view that constantly fixates on Israel as minor Satan to Uncle Sam’s big daddy demon.

Let’s look around the region.

Palestinians in Jordan face serious repression, including having their citizenships revoked by authorities. It’s worse still in Lebanon, where Palestinians have faced apartheid conditions for decades, expressly denied economic, social and political equal rights. Palestinians in other Arab countries also face injustices.

Meanwhile, Christian Copts in Egypt have been under assault by Muslim fundamentalists for years. Thousands have reportedly fled the country in fear for their lives. In Syria, a brutal regime has massacred its own citizens for daring to ask for political rights that members of the United Church of Canada take for granted.

Hello? Will the United Church of Canada now work up reports calling for boycotts of products from those countries?

Don’t hold your breath.

I’ve heard the boycott against Israeli settlement goods defended on the grounds that Israel is a democracy and so should be held to a higher standard. In other words, I guess, you shouldn’t “expect” better from places like Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Syria. If you’re suffering injustice in those places, too bad, so sad, but if it’ll make you feel better, I’m boycotting Israeli settlement wine, don’t you know.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics released data last month showing the number of Palestinians employed within Israeli settlements climbed to 15,000 from 13,000 in the second quarter. I guess the United Church of Canada wants to put those Palestinians out of work.

I don’t mean to smear church-going, rank-and-file members of the United Church of Canada, by the way. This boycott was approved by the church’s general council, despite a recent survey showing 76 per cent of their own membership thought they should stay out of or remain neutral about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Sixty-five per cent blamed both sides — Israelis and Palestinians — equally for the dispute.

Sadly, the United Church’s actions may lead to a different boycott than it had in mind.

...but Paul...it has worked...it worked in South Africa ... and it was simply sanctions started by the people....Jewish Voices for Peace boycott goods from the settlements...Israeli goods produced in West Bank settlements are not eligible for customs benefits in the European Union...Grmany asked for details of production and Israel didn't answer so they got eliminated from free trade...Palestinians in Lebanon are REFUGEES! In Jordan REFUGEES!
...I agree with the problems you express in Jordan, Syria, Egypt...but there is one difference.....Israeli settlements are there because of ethnic cleansing and violations of international law..they are occupiers and have violated international law..and by the way Paul...Canadian law as well...
...people just don't take the tripe like that from HONEST REPORTING in your paper last week...those lies don't work anymore....Israel has created that monster in the settler movement, and its clear that the security wall only protects one side...

Just like the Catholic church,this decision will once again put the United church on the wrong side of history and truth....to believe the Palestinian propaganda machine is both naive and simplistic...remember,the Palestinians want a total destruction of Israel,this is their goal and this church plays right into their hands..how foolish and disturbing...

Are you saying the Catholic Church is boycotting these products? Or are you saying that the Catholic Church is some how associated with the mess that the idiocy of the Balfour Declaration created in the middle-east establishing a state without doing the due-diligence of what life would be like for its citizens living amongst a population that was not consulted, was unceremoniously dispossessed and was given no redress of consequence?

Everything I have read about the Catholic Church and the region in the last decade indicates movements towards calming waters, offering friendship and acknowledgement of past stupidities amongst its leaders and followers. Just the opposite of Paul's column.

Why attempt to slur their efforts with a throw away association where none is warranted?

The reason why the United Church responded to Israel/Palestine at this particular time, as opposed to responding to any other of the myriad injustices in the world that Mr. Schneidereit cites, is that Palestinian Christians specifically asked for churches around the world to consider their situation.

The tiniest bit of actual research into this story would have made that clear. But I suppose then he wouldn't have had that fine headline.

For the record, I am a United Church member and not thrilled with the report. But at least I actually read it.

Mr. Schneidereit writes an interesting piece. I'm a little bit amazed, though, that he says he doesn't see the UCC as Anti-Semitic, and then immediately goes ahead and clearly points out the UCC General Council's absolute lack of even-handedness in its refusal to boycott Egypt or Jordan. That's anti-Semitism exactly.

I wonder why Mr. Schneidereit cannot call a spade a spade. I think it rises from his last full paragraph. Mr. Schneidereit doesn't want to as he puts it, "smear church-going, rank-and-file members". That's laudable. But the general council has to be called out for what it is: a bunch of anti-Semites.

Mr. Schneidereit obviously tried to choose his words carefully. I can appreciate him not wanting to be a bomb-thrower on this issue. But it's not being a bomb-thrower to point out anti-Jewish statements wherever they may be, and call Anti-Semitism by its name.

More broadly, of course, this is just one more example of the UCC hierarchy falling out of touch with its dwindling membership. Its most prominent pastor in Toronto, Gretta Vosper, does not even believe in God. In many churches, that might disqualify one from being a minister--not in the UCC, where the world's biggest enemies are Jews and, apparently, bottled water.

As with eco-groups operating as political bodies, it's time the United Church lost its charitable status.
"The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world." G. Harkness

Look at the comments in this thread. One going on about trying to split hairs between hating Jews and hating their actions. Another poster frothing at the mouth about how Israel is the cause of Middle East woes because the Arab world started a bunch of wars to wipe Israel off the map and couldn't succeed--so Israel's pre-emptive strike in 1967 is vilified instead.

As long as palestinians are being raised to hate Jews and Jews are being raised to hate palestinians the cycle will never end. One writer in the past compared Jews & Palestinians to abused children , the victimized feel justified in their actions and all the rest of us are outsiders who don't understand and never will.

....the United Church has no issue with Israel, and will not boycott items manufactured or created in Israel....they are not alone..and the poll that Paul stated was, as I expected, commissioned by Canadians for Israel....they questions were vague...they offered no questions on whether members thought the settlements were illegal, no questions regarding economic destruction of economic drivers of Palestinians ... I suspect if the full story be known, as it is known in a number of Churches in the US, a number of municipalities in the US, they would get a different story..and hypocritical ? Paul says " I think it’s obvious that Israel will have to give up the vast majority in any future peace deal with the Palestinians" ...they don't want a peace deal..it has become a settler nation where actions are supported by the IDF..they burn , they kill, they harass kids trying to get to school, they destroy crops, they burn dwellings and poison water wells, vandalize mosques...and you call the United Church hypocrits!..The settlers don't want concessions...find me a settler that wants concessions...they want Zabotinsky's Israel...This won't stop until Israeli's experience some pain in the pocket...they ignore international law continuously, they defy Geneva Conventions, they even violate their own membership in the UN, and this cannot go on. And I do speak a lot to this issue..because I believe it is the core problem in the middle east , solve this, as the late General William Odom says and you will find the Iranians quite pragmatic, solve this and you will see stabilization in Lebanon, solve this and you will see a more refined Egypt ...it won't be easy and Israel will still have every right to address security issues...but cleansing , apartheid, and expansion are not stopping...so who is the hypocrit...the United Church?

Yah just gotta love the irony here....Common sense ""The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world." ...as he calls for th eUnited Church to lose charitable status.
...the whole Israeli system is constructed on divine interpretations...and misinterpreted at that!

United Church is right to support boycott of products from the occupied territories.
It is a moral stand, against occupier.
What Palestinians gained from waiting after Oslo accord? Nothing.
They lost a lot of territory, they were pushed out of they land, they are subject to brutal occupation on daily basis. The only premier who supported just peace, Rabin, was shot dead by radical Jewish extremist, who till today is unrepentant.
Church is not misguided. It is Mr. Schneidereit who is manipulative.
Mr. Schneidereit. Palestinians live under Israeli occupation. Under the guise of negotiations Israel is grabbing more and more of they land, building more and more settlements on an occupied land.
Mr. Schneidereit theses are a few questions for you.
Is Israel an occupier? For the rest of the world, including Canada, it is.
If Israel is not an occupier what is the status of Palestinians? If you do not know it, Israeli army is in charge of West Bank, and Palestinians are subject to military courts and military authorities. They have no other rights than the ones which army gives to them. Not the state of Israel, but the army.
Israeli and European write about this injustice everyday. Press is mostly silent on these matters here.
Please read an Israeli newspaper haaretz.com. Please read British ‘Guardian’. Brits, like the rest of the EU forbade products from occupied territories to be labeled ‘made in Israel’.
Chris, Deep Cove

But Paul gives the point "I don’t support the existence of Israeli settlements scattered across the West Bank and in East Jerusalem" And the Israelis will probably have to dismantle those settlements sooner or later, or come to a peace agreement that allows the settlements.
But yes, where is the UCC on Egypt, the Sudan, Nigeria, Iraq? These are all places where Christians are attacked and persecuted. I would think the UCC would be concerned about those places as well. Or have I missed those boycotts by the UCC?
And look at what is going on in Syria, isn't that worthy of mention? Did I miss that as well?

The United Church did its research, applied its tests of justice and morality and made a democratic decision. Bold move that runs counter to the currently dominant orthodoxy among North America's current power-holders. The church is taking flak from the comfy chairs who think Israel can do no wrong.
Look, this Middle East problem has lasted forever and responsible contributions to move it along should be welcomed. Nothing will ever change if provocative ideas are demonized.
And to see comments here accusing the United Church of anti-semitism are most troubling. The political decisions of Israel's government should be subject to the same level of criticism and debate as those of any other democratic government. (Just read an Israeli newspaper) That's completely apart from any attack on Judaism which can be properly condemned as anti-Semitic.

I hate to bring in this old chestnut, but it applies. The United Church is built on Christian faith. Its founder, Jesus Christ lived in those lands. How do you think he would view the settlers?

So if Canadian Christians stand in support of Palestinian Christians, it's all dismissed as hypocritical by Mr. S., but don't you know: those settlements are considered illegal, even by the Americans who stand for pre-1967 borders. What's wrong with that?

The author of this column has agreed that the settlements are illegal and an obstacle to peace. You'd think that a logical extension of that thought process would be making the decision to not financially support them. But put your actions where your words are, and you're labeled a hypocritical anti-Semite. Sense this author does not make.

The church, any church is riddled with hypocrisy, hatred and diabolical intent. All religions are a farce and one thing that should be absolutely entrenched in any country's constitution is that no church should ever be permitted to act or speak on behalf of the citizenry in the matter of politics. If it weren't for all the various religions we have on this planet, there would be a lot less war and death in the name of someone's Lord.